Cloudflare acquires AI data marketplace Human Native

In a significant move to bolster its presence in the artificial intelligence sector, Cloudflare has announced the acquisition of Human Native, a data marketplace focused on AI. This strategic acquisition aims to enhance the company's efforts in facilitating seamless transactions between AI developers and content creators. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince emphasized the importance of empowering content creators, stating, "Content creators deserve full control over their work, whether they want to write for humans or optimize for AI." The company believes that this acquisition will enable it to create tools that allow AI developers to find, access, and purchase high-quality data through equitable and transparent channels. While the financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, Prince highlighted that the acquisition is pivotal for Cloudflare as it seeks to establish a system where AI developers compensate creators for using their content to train models. Human Native, a startup based in the UK, is set to manage these transactions. Prince noted, "This acquisition is about building the tools needed to protect the longevity of the open internet," reflecting the company's vision for the future. Earlier this year, he indicated that transforming content monetization on the internet has become a crucial mission for Cloudflare. In a previous appearance on CNBC's 'Mad Money,' Prince discussed how the company's initiatives are aimed at ensuring that content creators receive fair compensation, which he believes will represent a new chapter for Cloudflare. Additionally, the company launched its AI Crawl Control product last summer, designed to help customers manage and monetize AI crawlers—bots that collect data from the web for training large language models. As Cloudflare continues to innovate in the cybersecurity space, its stock has seen impressive growth, with shares rising over 60% in the past year, largely fueled by the growing interest in AI technologies.